Amusement attraction

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an entertainment device with a main construction ( 1 ) designed as a character which has displaceable limbs ( 2 ), and a passenger unit ( 3 ) which is attached to the limbs ( 2 ), and the passenger unit ( 3 ) can be moved from an embarkation position into a plurality of ride positions and the limbs ( 2 ) can be moved independently of one another.

The invention relates to an entertainment device, of the type used atfolk festivals, annual markets or in leisure parks, for example. Theentertainment device may also be termed a ride because people take seatsin a passenger unit of the entertainment device and can be moved by theentertainment device in a specific way.

A ride based on a gorilla design is known from the “CIGOLAND” leisurepark, Au Parc des Cigognes, Route de Selestat, 67600 Kintzheim, France.The gorilla stands with its two legs fixed on the ground of the leisurepark. The gorilla is able to swivel its trunk relative to its legs aboutan axis linking the two hips in the hip region, between a forwardly bentand an upright position. Between its hands, the gorilla holds apassenger unit in which passengers can take a seat so that they arefacing away from the gorilla during the ride, i.e. the passengers arelooking in the same direction as the gorilla. The position of the centreof gravity of the passenger unit and the free pivoting movement of thepassenger unit about a pivot bearing disposed in the gorilla's hands areselected so that the passenger unit always assumes a horizontalorientation during the ride. The gorilla's arms are connected to oneanother so that they can be jointly pivoted about an axis linking theshoulders.

The objective of the invention is to propose an entertainment device, bymeans of which the experience and pleasure of the passenger can beenhanced.

This objective is achieved by means of the features defined in theindependent claim. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependentclaims.

The entertainment device proposed by the invention may be designed forstationary operation, i.e. the entertainment device can not be removedfrom the site on which it is installed or can not be so to anysignificant degree, or for mobile operation, i.e. the entertainmentdevice can be removed from the site on which it is installed byrelatively simple means, for example can be loaded onto a vehicle. Inthe case of mobile operation, it is preferable if no or only a few partsof the entertainment device have to be removed for transport purposes,for example the arms and passenger unit.

The entertainment device comprises a main construction and a passengerunit connected to the main construction. The main construction isdesigned in the form of a character, in particular a living being suchas a gorilla, an alien, a dinosaur, a robot or some other monster. Themain construction may be designed so that the character assumes a seatedor preferably a standing position. The main construction preferablycomprises a supporting frame, for example made from metal, and anexternal cover, which is made from polyester or polyurethane ormaterials containing a proportion of these substances. The forces andmoments which occur whilst the entertainment device is in operation canbe absorbed by means of this supporting frame. The external cover isused in particular to provide the design or imitation of the characterbut also serves as a means of protecting the passengers against injuryon the supporting frame or of protecting the supporting frame againstthe effects of the weather because the entertainment device can not onlybe erected in enclosed spaces but also outdoors.

The main construction has displaceable limbs, such as legs or preferablyarms or tentacles, for example. The displaceable limbs are preferablydisposed so that they are able to pivot on a trunk of the mainconstruction. For example, the limbs can be moved in vertical planes,for example pivoted. A drive may be provided for this purpose. The limbsmay essentially be moved along the vertical axis of the body of the mainconstruction designed as a character. In particular, the limbs can eachbe moved in a plane and the planes are preferably disposed parallel orapproximately parallel. Alternatively or in addition, each of the planesmay be oriented vertically or horizontally with respect to the surfaceon which the entertainment device is installed. The limbs may each bemounted on the trunk of the main construction by means of a pivotbearing. The pivot bearing may rotate or pivot about a common axis, forexample. It may be preferable for the trunk to be disposed between thetwo arm-shaped limbs, for example, in which case the pivot bearings forthe limbs are disposed on the trunk in particular. A characteristicfeature of the invention is the fact that the limbs can be movedseparately from one another, in particular can be driven. By preference,the pivot bearings by means of which the limbs are mounted on the trunkcan be pivoted separately from one another. In particular, the limbs canbe moved oppositely from one another, for example alternately. If thelimbs are arms of an anthropoid ape, for example, they are preferablyrotatable, in particular pivotable, about a common axis linking theshoulders in the shoulder region. As a result, the arms are able to moveup and down in a pivot plane.

Disposed between the limbs is a passenger unit, and the passenger unitlinks the limbs. By preference, the points at which the passenger unitis connected to the limbs are disposed at a significant distance fromthe pivot bearing of the limbs on the trunk. The passenger unit may beattached to the limbs so that it is stationary in particular, orpreferably is rotatable, in particular pivotable. For example, thepassenger unit may be rotatable about an axis which extends through thepoints or bearings by means of which the passenger unit is attached tothe limbs. A pivot bearing is preferably provided at each of the pointswhere the passenger unit is attached to the limbs and preferably has anaxis of rotation which extends parallel with the pivot axis of the limbson the trunk. It is preferable to provide a drive on one of the limbs oron both limbs in order to rotate the passenger unit about the pivotbearing, and the passenger unit is coupled with one of the limbs.Alternatively, the passenger unit may be freely rotatable. The passengerunit is preferably able to swing about its axis of rotation in aseesawing motion or is driven so that it effects a seesawing movement orfull rotations, and in the case of full rotations can effectsomersaults. The passenger unit may be based on the design of a carriagefor example, in which case it is disposed with its wheels on a specifictrack for this carriage in the embarkation position and which is thenlifted off the track in its ride positions and then deposited back onthe track the end of the ride. Preferred combinations are a traincarriage-track, bus-road, car-road, boat-river, etc. It would also beconceivable for the carriage to ride on the track initially, and then begripped by the arms or coupled by the arms, effecting the ride effectsdescribed here. The carriage can then be deposited and continue its rideon the track. The limbs may have coupling means designed so that thecarriage can be coupled with the limbs and then optionally releasedagain. The embarkation point for passengers may be disposed along thetrack offset from the entertainment device.

Alternatively or preferably in addition, the passenger unit may beconnected to each of the limbs by means of a universal joint. Auniversal joint is characterised by two pivot axes disposed more or lessperpendicular to one another, and one of the pivot axes extendsperpendicular to a main axis and the other one of the pivot axes extendsperpendicular to an auxiliary axis. This offers the possibility ofcoupling the main axis with the auxiliary axis so that the auxiliaryaxis can be moved anywhere within a space defined by a cone, and themain axis is the axis of symmetry of the cone. The main axis ispreferably disposed parallel with the pivot axis of the limbs on thetrunk.

It is also preferable if at least one and in particular only one of thelimbs has another pivot bearing between its pivot bearing on the trunkand the point of attachment for the passenger unit. In particular, thepart of the limb disposed distally of the other pivot bearing can bepivoted in the direction towards and away from the other limb by meansof the other pivot bearing. It is particularly preferably if the pivotaxis of the other pivot bearing is disposed perpendicular to the pivotaxis of the limbs on the trunk and/or parallel with the pivot plane ofthe limbs and/or spaced at a distance apart from the pivot axis of thelimbs on the trunk. By particular preference, the pivot axis of theother bearing is disposed parallel with the tangent of a circle disposedaround the pivot axis of the limbs and in the pivot plane of the limbs.A drive may be provided for the other pivot bearing, in which case it ispreferable if the distal part is freely pivotable relative to theproximal part of the limb.

The main construction preferably has at least one other pivot bearingbetween a stand surface and the pivot bearing of the limbs on the trunk,in particular in the region of the hips of the main construction. It ispreferable if the main construction can be rotated forwards and/or tothe side, in particular pivoted, and can be driven by means of a drive.In particular, the pivot axis of a pivot bearing which enables the mainconstruction to be pivoted forwards and backwards is disposed parallelwith the pivot axis of the limbs on the trunk. A pivot bearing whichenables the construction to be pivoted to the side is disposed so thatthe pivot axis of the pivot bearing extends transversely, in particularperpendicular to, the axis by means of which a forward and backwardmovement is possible or to the axis about which the limbs can bepivoted.

The passenger unit can accommodate at least one passenger. To this end,the passenger unit has at least one seat for one or more passengers. Theat least one seat may be disposed so that the passenger occupying theseat as intended is looking parallel with or preferably transversely tothe axis extending through the points of attachment of the passengerunit to the limb. It is preferable if the at least one passenger,positioned in a seat, is pointing or looking in a direction towards oneof the limbs. A safety element is preferably provided, in particular asafety bracket, to enable the at least one passenger to be secured inposition in the passenger compartment. A separate safety element ispreferably provided for every passenger but it would also be possible touse a common safety element for several passengers. The passenger unitcan be moved from an embarkation position into a number of ridepositions. The passengers are preferably secured in the seat when in aposition away from the embarkation position. In particular, means may beprovided which do not release the safety element unless the passengercompartment is disposed in the embarkation position.

In embodiments incorporating several seats, the seats may be disposed soas to form groups of seats, in which case the passengers within a seatgroup face one another. For example, an entrance may be provided foreach seat group, through which the passengers can enter the passengercompartment. The passengers can also leave the passenger unit throughthe entrance. However, it is preferable to provide separate exits forleaving the passenger compartment, which are disposed on a differentside of the passenger compartment in particular, thereby making itpossible to fill and empty the passenger compartment more quickly. Thisshortens the waiting times for waiting passengers. The at least oneentrance and/or the at least one exit may be opened and closed by adisplaceable door element. By door element is meant all elements used tolock the entrance or exit. The door preferably opens and closesautomatically or by means of a remote control system operated by theoperator of the entertainment device.

The main construction preferably has a head which can be pivotedforwards and/or to the side and/or about the head vertical axis forexample. The head may have a mouth orifice, in particular a mouth, whichcan be moved up and down. This may be done by means of a gear mechanism,in particular a toggle mechanism. The mouth is opened due to a movementof the lower jaw, preferably with a combined movement of the upper jaw.Preferably, the upper jaw and the lower jaw move. In particular, theupper lip and nose move upwards and the lower jaw moves downwards whenthe character's mouth opens. The movement takes place in reverse whenthe mouth closes. The toggle mechanism is preferably driven by means ofa linear drive, which pushes on a nodal element at which three rodsmeet, and one rod is connected to the upper jaw, one rod is connected tothe lower jaw and one rod is connected to the supporting frame. Thisenables different degrees of movement of the upper jaw and lower jaw tobe achieved. The upper jaw preferably moves more slowly and by a shorterdistance than the lower jaw.

The head may also have lamp elements serving as eyes, the brightness ofwhich can be varied in particular. For example, a dimmer or a flashingrelay may be provided in order to adjust the brightness of the eyes. Forexample, the lamp element, in particular its dimmer, may be coupled witha sound-emitting element so that the brightness of the eyes can beadjusted on the basis of the volume and frequency of the emitted sounds.Alternatively or in addition, at least one vibrating unit may beprovided, disposed in particular on the passenger unit. The vibratingunit may cause the at least one seat to vibrate, in particular as afunction of an acoustic sound and/or a frequency emitted by thesound-emitting system, for example. For example, the sound-emittingsystem may be disposed in the region of the mouth. The sound-emittingsystem is preferably disposed on the passenger unit. In addition to themotion sequence proposed by the invention, this enables effects to becreated, in particular by illuminating the eyes, emitting sound and/orgenerating a mechanical vibration in the region of the seats, therebyfurther enhancing the passenger's enjoyment of the ride. As analternative to or in addition to the effect-enhancing means, a mistmachine, a water thrower, a flame thrower, a soap bubble machine orsimilar may be provided in the mouth in order to impart an even moreintense feeling of the ride to the passenger. One of these machines,e.g. the mist machine, may be oriented so that its product is directedtowards the passengers as it is emitted.

For mobile operation, the main construction may be secured to a vehicleso that the main construction can be pivoted about an axis extendingtransversely to the direction of travel of the vehicle, in particularperpendicular to the direction of travel and parallel with the road inorder to erect and dismantle the entertainment device. For example, themain construction may be pivoted about the axis by means of a crane. Adrive system is preferably provided, such as a hydraulic cylinder forexample, in order to pivot the main construction about the axis. Inorder to dismantle the entertainment device, the entertainment device,in particular the trunk, is placed almost or fully upright and the footelement together with the trunk is pivoted about the axis extendingtransversely to the direction of travel. In preferred embodiments,depending in particular on the height of the entertainment device, thepassenger unit merely has to be detached from the limbs. For example,the limbs are likewise oriented so that they do not have to be detachedfor transport purposes. In other preferred embodiments, the limbs andthe passenger unit are detached. Accordingly, the entertainment devicecomprises the foot part, the trunk part and optionally the head. Due tothe pivotable arrangement of the entertainment device on the vehicle,the entertainment device can be erected and dismantled rapidly andinexpensively and transported to virtually any site. To ensure that theexternal cover of the entertainment devices does not suffer any damage,a strut may be provided, by means of which the entertainment device canbe secured to prevent it from pivoting about the axis extendingtransversely to the direction of travel once it is in a lying position.

It is also preferable if, in the erected state, the main constructionjuts out beyond the rear or front end of the vehicle in theready-to-travel state, in which case the jutting part may be supportedfrom underneath by means of a support element which can be fitted on therear or front end of the vehicle. The support element may be attached toor screwed onto the body of the vehicle for example. For example, thesupport element may be fitted on the body so that it can be extracted orpivoted into the supporting position.

As a result of this feature, the height of the entertainment device canbe increased and the length of the vehicle used for transportationreduced. The height of the entertainment device will depend inparticular on the maximum length of the transport vehicle. The length ofthe transport vehicle is preferably dimensioned so that the vehicle isstill permitted on the road without a special licence or a heavy goodspermit. The support element which can be attached to the vehicle is alsoused to shift the axis extending transversely to the direction of travelfurther in the direction of one end of the vehicle in order to dismantlethe entertainment device, thereby enabling the height of theentertainment device to be increased. The support element fitted fortravel purposes is removed from the position which it assumes when theentertainment device is loaded so that the vehicle is made shorter thanthe entertainment device in the assembled state.

The described drives for generating a rotating or pivoting movementabout a rotation or pivot axis may be electric motors or fluid-drivenmotors, such as hydraulically or pneumatically operated motors, forexample. The motors may be designed so that they generate a rotating orlinear driving action. Hydraulic cylinders are preferred for a lineardrive. A hydraulic cylinder is connected to one of the two elementswhich pivot relative to one another. The elements to be pivoted and thehydraulic cylinder then form a triangle and a pivot bearing is providedrespectively at the corners of the triangle for kinematic reasons.

The invention has been described on the basis of several advantageousembodiments. The invention will be described below with reference to theappended drawings. The disclosed features advantageously contribute tothe subject matter of the invention, both alone and in combination. Ofthe drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an entertainment device,

FIG. 2 is a front view of an entertainment device,

FIG. 3 is a side view of the entertainment device illustrated in FIG. 2,and

FIG. 4 shows the entertainment device in a state ready for transport.

FIG. 1 illustrates an entertainment device comprising a mainconstruction 1 with displaceable limbs 2 and a passenger unit 3 attachedto the limbs 2. The main construction 1 has a supporting frame forbearing the load and effecting the mechanical motion sequences and anexternal cover. The external cover is used to impart to theentertainment device a specific form of mimicry or a motto. It is alsoused to protect the supporting frame from external influences. In thecase of the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the external cover isdesigned as an anthropoid ape, a gorilla or “King Kong”. The externalcover may be made from polyester or polyurethane and is preferablyweather-resistant. The external cover may also be provided with aweather-resistant fur coat.

The external cover has a head 10, on which a mouth 8 and a nose 9 aredisposed.

The entertainment device is illustrated in two positions. One positionis the so-called embarkation position, in which the passengers can enterthe passenger unit 3. The other position is an upright position of theentertainment devices in which the passenger unit 3 is raised. Althoughthe supporting frame illustrated in FIG. 1 in the upright position isshown without an arm cover, it should be assumed that the supportingframe is fully covered because the design of the external cover shown inthe background is merely symbolic in nature in order to provide aclearer understanding.

The supporting frame and the passenger unit 3 shown in FIG. 1 are thesame as the supporting frame and passenger unit illustrated in FIGS. 2and 3. This being the case, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 will be described jointlybelow.

The illustrated entertainment device is designed for mobile use. To thisend, it is disposed on a vehicle 12 and is connected to the vehicle 12by means of a pivot bearing, which can be pivoted about a pivot axis 11so that the entertainment device can be pivoted out of the operatingposition illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 into a transport positionillustrated in FIG. 4.

The supporting frame comprises a foot frame 15, a trunk frame 16, an armframe 20 and a head frame 27. In principle, the foot frame 15 couldcomprise a vertical support, in this case two vertical supports, foreach foot of the character, forming the foot frame 15. The trunk frame16 is pivotably connected to the foot frame 15 by means of a pivotbearing 6. The pivot bearing 6 is disposed in the region of the hips ofthe character. By means of a linear cylinder 18 disposed on the footframe 15 on the one hand and on the trunk frame 16 on the other hand,the trunk frame 16 can be pivoted relative to the foot frame 15 in abending plane.

The arm frames 20 contained in the limbs 2 are rotatably connected tothe trunk frame 16 in the region of the character's shoulders by meansof pivot bearings 5. The two pivot bearings 5 have a common pivot axisextending parallel with the pivot axis of the pivot bearings 6. The armframes 20 can each be pivoted in planes parallel with the bending planeby means of a linear cylinder 17, which is connected to the arm frameand to the trunk frame 16. The two linear cylinders 17 can be operatedseparately from one another so that the limbs 2 and arm frames 20 areable to move in planes extending parallel with the bending planeindependently of one another.

Disposed at the distal end of the limbs 2 or arm frames 20, i.e. remotefrom the body, is the passenger unit 3. The passenger unit 3 isconnected to each of the arm frames 20 by means of a rotary bearing 7 soas to be pivotable about a pivot axis S, and the pivot axis S extendsthrough the two bearings 7 by means of which the passenger unit 3 isattached to the arm frame in each case. The passenger unit 3 is able toeffect swinging movements about the pivot axis S for example. Inparticular, the passenger unit 3 can be rotated or driven completelyaround the pivot axis S, i.e. about 360°, thereby generating asomersault. The rotary bearings 7 are universal joints in particular,which permit a change in the angle of the pivot axis S of the passengercompartment 3 by reference to the arm frames 20. Such changes in angleoccur during the independent movement of the arm frames 20.

Since the distance between the arm frames 20 changes when the arm framesare moved independently of one another, a pivot bearing 14 is providedon one of the arm frames 20 in order to balance the length. The pivotbearing 14 is disposed between the pivot bearing 5 of the arm frame 20on the trunk frame and the rotary bearing 7 of the passenger compartment3 on the arm frame 20, preferably in the region of the elbow of thecharacter's arm. The pivot bearing 14 is able to rotate freely andpreferably does not therefore need to be driven by a drive. The pivotaxis of the pivot bearing 14 is preferably a tangent on a circle in thebending plane formed around the pivot axis of the pivot bearing 5. Theradius of this circle preferably corresponds to the distance of therotary bearing 14 from the pivot axis.

The passenger unit 3 is preferably freely rotatable about the pivot axisS of the passenger unit 3, for example. By preference, the passengerunit 3 can be pivoted about the pivot axis S with the aid of a drive, inparticular a linear cylinder 19. If the linear drive 19 is mounted in aso-called floating position for example, the passenger unit 3 is able torotate freely about the axis S. The medium which is sucked into orforced out of the linear cylinder 19 when the passenger unit 3 isrotating freely about the axis S flows through a throttle, by means ofwhich the rotating movement of the passenger unit 3 about the axis S isdamped. It is preferable if the throttle can be adjusted in terms of itsflow passage and hence damping effect.

The entertainment device or supporting frame has a head frame 27, bymeans of which the mimicry of the character's face can be changed. Inparticular, the mouth 8 can be opened up and the nose 9 moved upwardstogether with the upper lip of the mouth 8. To this end, the head frame27 has an upper jaw element 22 and a lower jaw element 23, and the upperjaw element 22 is essentially responsible for moving the upper jaw andthe lower jaw element 23 is responsible for the movement of the lowerjaw. The movement of the upper jaw element 22 and the lower jaw element23 is effected by means of a linear cylinder 21, which is connected atone end to the head frame 27 and at the other end to a toggle unit 24,25, 26. When the mouth 8 opens, the upper jaw 22 moves to a lesserdegree than the lower jaw 23, i.e. by a shorter distance,. To this end,the toggle unit 24, 25, 26 has several levers, each of which isrotatably mounted at its ends. A first lever 24 is connected to the headframe 27 and to the linear cylinder 21. A second lever 25 is connectedto the lower jaw element 23 and to the linear cylinder 21. A third lever26 is connected to the upper jaw element 22 and to the linear cylinder21. In particular, the levers 24, 25, 26 are connected to one another atthe point at which they are linked to the linear cylinder 1. The firstlever 24 is preferably the longest of the levers 24, 25 and 26, followedby the third lever 26 and the second lever 25, and lever 26 is longerthan lever 25.

The entertainment device may be provided with means for producing othereffects, such as for example lamp means, sound-generating means, amechanical means generating mechanical vibration, such as vibrators forexample, or means ejecting particles. These means may be mounted on thehead, for example, especially in the character's mouth 8. Alternativelyor in addition, such means may also be provided on the passenger unit 3.Vibrators generating mechanical vibrations are preferably mountedunderneath the seats of the passengers in order to produce a vibratingeffect. Another option is to mount a sound-generating means on thepassenger unit 3. In particular, a mist machine or similar may bemounted in the mouth 8 and lamp means may be provided as eyes on thecharacter's head.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 in particular, the passenger unit 3 has fourseat groups, each of which comprises two rows of seats facing oneanother. Several seats may be arranged adjacent to one another in a seatrow. A safety element is provided for each passenger, in particular asafety bracket, so that the passenger is secured on the seat during theride. The passengers are seated with their front along the pivot axis Sof the passenger compartment 3. Consequently, the passengers are eachfacing the direction of one of the limbs 2.

An entrance and an exit are provided on the longitudinal sides of thepassenger unit 3 for each of the seat groups. The entrances arepreferably disposed on one longitudinal side and the exits on the otherlongitudinal side lying opposite to enable rapid embarkation anddisembarkation of the passengers.

In order to transport the entertainment device from one site to another,it is pivoted about a longitudinal axis 11 from a vertical into ahorizontal position, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The pivot axis 11 isdisposed transversely to the direction of travel of the vehicle andparallel with the road. To enable safe transport, the supporting frameis fixedly connected to the chassis 12 by means of a transport strut 28.The transport strut 28 preferably stands vertically on the chassis 12.In the transport position, the foot frame 15 and the trunk frame 16 arepreferably oriented in the same direction. In particular, the limbs andpassenger unit 3 are removed from the main construction for transportpurposes. The supporting frame may be transported alone or with theexternal cover on it.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the foot frame 15 is placed in anupright position by means of a stand surface 4, formed by the vehicle 12and a support element 13 designed as a fitting. Supporting the standsurface 4 from underneath by means of the support element helps toimprove the standing safety of the entertainment device. As may be seenfrom FIG. 4, the support element 13 indicated by broken lines, namelythe one on the left, is problematic as regards transport because itincreases the length of the chassis 12 or vehicle, which can lead toproblems during transport and with official transport permits. Thisbeing the case, the support element 13 indicated by broken lines ispreferably removed for transport purposes. Without the support element13, the chassis 12 is preferably a maximal of 12 m in length.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 Main construction

2 Limbs

3 Passenger unit

4 Stand surface

5 Pivot bearing

6 Pivot bearing

7 Rotary bearing

8 Mouth orifice

9 Nose

10 Head

11 Axis

12 Vehicle

13 Support element/fitting element

14 Pivot bearing

15 Foot frame

16 Trunk frame

17, 18, 19 Linear cylinder

20 Arm frame

21 Linear drive

22 Upper jaw element

23 Lower jaw element

24 First lever

25 Second lever

26 Third lever

27 Head frame

28 Transport strut

S Pivot axis

1. An entertainment device comprising a) a main construction (1)designed as a character which has displaceable limbs (2), b) a passengerunit (3) which is attached to or can be attached to the limbs (2), c)which passenger unit (3) can be moved from an embarkation position intoa plurality of ride positions, characterised in that d) the limbs (2)can be moved independently of one another.
 2. An entertainment device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the limbs (2) can be moved oppositely, inparticular alternately.
 3. An entertainment device as claimed in claim1, wherein the limbs (2) are designed as arms of an imitated livingbeing, in particular a gorilla, an alien, a dinosaur, a robot or someother monster.
 4. An entertainment device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe limbs (2) can be moved essentially along the body vertical axis ofthe character-shaped main construction (1).
 5. An entertainment deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein the limbs (2) are disposed on the mainconstruction (1) so that they are pivotable.
 6. An entertainment deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein the main construction (1) has at leastone pivot bearing (6) between a stand surface (4) and the pivot bearings(5) of the limbs (2), in particular in the region of the hips of themain construction (1), by means of which the main construction (1) canbe pivoted forwards and/or to the side.
 7. An entertainment device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein a rotary bearing (7) for the passenger unit(3) is disposed on the limbs (2) distally of a pivot bearing (5) for thelimbs (2), and the passenger unit (3) can be rotated about the rotarybearing (7), in particular by means of a drive (19).
 8. An entertainmentdevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the limbs (2) hasa pivot baring (14) between its pivot bearing (5) and the pivot bearing(6) for the passenger unit (3), by means of which the part of the limbdisposed distally of it can be pivoted towards and away from the otherlimb.
 9. An entertainment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mainconstruction (1) has a mouth orifice (8), in particular a mouth, whichcan be moved open and shut.
 10. An entertainment device as claimed inclaim 9, wherein an upper lip of the mouth orifice (8) and a nose (9)can be moved.
 11. An entertainment device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe character has eyes which are able to light up, in particular can beadjusted in terms of their brightness.
 12. An entertainment device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein a mouth orifice (8) or eyes are provided ona head of the character (10), and the head (10) can be pivoted forwardsand/or to the side and/or about the body vertical axis.
 13. Anentertainment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passenger unit(3) has at least one seat for accommodating one or more passengers, anda safety element is provided for each passenger, in particular a safetybracket, in order to secure the at least one passenger on the seat whenthe passenger compartment (3) is in a position away from the embarkationposition.
 14. An entertainment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein theat least one seat is disposed so that the passenger occupying the seatas intended is facing in a direction towards one of the limbs (2). 15.An entertainment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least onevibrating unit is provided on the passenger unit (3), which is able tocause the at least one seat to vibrate, in particular as a function ofan acoustic sound which the entertainment device is able to emit.
 16. Anentertainment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passenger unit(3) has an entrance and an exit, and one of the entrance and exit isdisposed towards the main construction (1) and the other of the entranceand exit is disposed away from the main construction (1).
 17. Anentertainment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the entrance and/orthe exit can be opened and closed by means of automatically displaceabledoors.
 18. An entertainment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein themain construction (1) is secured to a vehicle (12) so that the mainconstruction (1) can be pivoted about an axis (11) extendingtransversely to the direction of travel of the vehicle (12), inparticular perpendicular to the direction of travel and parallel withthe road in order to erect and dismantle the entertainment device. 19.An entertainment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mainconstruction (1) in the erected state juts out beyond the rear or frontend of the vehicle (12) when it is ready to travel and the jutting partcan be at least partially supported from underneath by means of asupport element (13) which can be attached to the rear or front end ofthe vehicle.
 20. An entertainment device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe main construction (1) comprises a supporting frame and an externalcover made from polyester or polyurethane.
 21. The entertainment deviceas claimed in claim 1, whereby the limbs (2) have coupling means bymeans of which a passenger unit (3) moved across a ride track is coupledwith the limbs (2), the limbs (2) then assume a plurality of ridepositions in which the passenger unit (3) is lifted from the ride trackand the passenger unit (3) is finally deposited back on the ride trackagain.
 22. The entertainment device as claimed in claim 1, whereby oncethe passenger unit (3) has been deposited on the ride track, thepassenger unit (3) is uncoupled from the limbs (2) and moved across theride track away from the entertainment device.